2 Houston health innovation leaders award grants to cancer-fighting researchers

dream team

The Cancer Bioengineering Collaborative announced the projects that were selected for its first round of seed grants. Photo via Rice.edu

Five cancer-fighting research projects were named inaugural recipients of a new grant program founded by two Houston institutions.

Last summer, Rice University and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced they were teaming up to form the new Cancer Bioengineering Collaborative. The shared initiative, created to form innovative technologies and bioengineering approaches to improve cancer research, diagnosis and treatment, recently launched with an event at the TMC3 Collaborative Building in Helix Park.

At the gathering, the Cancer Bioengineering Collaborative announced the projects that were selected for its first round of seed grants.

  • “Enhancing CAR-T immunotherapy via precision CRISPR/Cas-based epigenome engineering of high value therapeutic gene targets,” led by Isaac Hilton, associate professor of biosciences and bioengineering at Rice and a Cancer Research and Prevention Institute of Texas (CPRIT) scholar; and Michael Green, associate professor of lymphoma/myeloma at MD Anderson.
  • “Nanocluster and KRAS inhibitor-based combination therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,” led by Linlin Zhang, assistant research professor of bioengineering at Rice; and Haoqiang Ying, associate professor of molecular and cellular oncology at MD Anderson.
  • “Engineering tumor-infiltrating fusobacteriumas a microbial cancer therapy,” led by Jeffrey Tabor, professor of bioengineering at Rice; and Christopher Johnston, associate professor of genomic medicine and director of microbial genomics within the Platform for Innovative Microbiome and Translational Research at MD Anderson.
  • “Preclinical study of nanoscale TRAIL liposomes as a neoadjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer liver metastasis,” led by Michael King, the E.D. Butcher Professor of Bioengineering at Rice, CPRIT scholar and special adviser to the provost on life science collaborations with the Texas Medical Center; and Xiling Shen, professor of gastrointestinal medical oncology at MD Anderson.
  • “Deciphering molecular mechanisms of cellular plasticity in MDS progression,” led by Ankit Patel, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice and of neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine; and Pavan Bachireddy, assistant professor of hematopoietic biology and malignancy and lymphoma/myeloma at MD Anderson.

The event was a who’s who of Houston-based cancer specialists. Speakers included our city’s favorite Nobel laureate, Jim Allison, director of the James P. Allison Institute, as well as MD Anderson’s vice president of research, Eyal Gottlieb. Attendees were welcomed by the leaders of the initiative, Rice’s Gang Bao and MD Anderson’s Jeffrey Molldrem.

“This collaborative initiative builds on the strong foundation of our existing relationship, combining Rice’s expertise in bioengineering, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology with MD Anderson’s unmatched insights in cancer care and research,” Rice’s president Reginald DesRoches says at the event. “This is a momentous occasion to advance cancer research and treatment with the innovative fusion of engineering and medicine.”

The collaboration is part of Rice’s 10-year strategic plan for leadership in health innovation, called “Momentous: Personalized Scale for Global Impact.” Its goals include a commitment to responsible use of cutting-edge AI.

“As both institutions continue to make breakthroughs every day, we hope this collaborative will enable us to tackle the complex challenges of cancer care and treatment more effectively, ultimately improving the lives of patients here in Houston and beyond," Carin Hagberg, senior vice president and chief academic officer at MD Anderson, adds. "Whether our researchers are working on the South Campus or within the hedges of Rice, this collaborative will strengthen each other’s efforts and push the boundaries of what is possible in cancer.”

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MD Anderson's lab led by Nobel laureate James Allison has secured a $5 million donation. Photo courtesy of MD Anderson Cancer Center

Cancer-fighting Houston lab led by Nobel laureate receives $5M grant at annual event

supporting research

The James P. Allison Institute at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center scored a $5 million gift at its second annual symposium.

On behalf of Mayor John Whitmire, Oct. 10, 2024 was named “James P. Allison Institute Day,” and it was also the day that the TMC3 Collaborative Building in the Texas Medical Center’s Helix Park greeted 900 attendees for the scientific symposium, entitled “Immunotherapy in Space and Time: The Tumor Microenvironment.”

Allison, who won the Nobel Prize in 2018, leads his namesake institute that was founded in 2022 to advance translational and clinical within cancer to create new, synergetic therapies. In addition to his role as director of the institute, he is regental professor and chair of Immunology at MD Anderson.

At the symposium, Jack and Judi Johnson presented a $5 million gift to the Allison Institute on behalf of the David and Eula Wintermann Foundation, a private organization dedicated to funding the advancement of medical education and research. A longtime supporter of MD Anderson, the foundation’s donation will go towards recruitment and technology for the institute, as well help fund clinical trials.

The money will help support several researchers, who will be known as Wintermann Scholars. The chosen great minds run the gamut from early career scientists to world-renowned experts in fields including immunotherapy, genetics, cancer biology, data science, bioinformatics, spatial profiling or the microbiome.

“It was clear to us that the work happening within the Allison Institute has the potential to transform the lives of so many patients,” said Johnson, president of the Wintermann Foundation. “Our hope is that, with our support, we can help close the distance from the lab to the clinic so the incredible advancements underway can sooner help more cancer patients and their families.”

But the attendees on Oct. 10 learned far more than that. They were treated to a conversation between Allison and Carolyn Bertozzi, also a Nobel laureate, moderated by Alice Park, a senior health correspondent at Time. Park also took part in a fireside chat with Allison institute leaders, joined by MD Anderson President Peter WT Pisters and Chief Scientific Officer Giulio Draetta. Additional sessions also included presentations from big names like Mark Dawson, Elizabeth Jaffee, and Philip Greenberg.

“Spatial biology is a rapidly expanding field that offers tremendous new insights into immunobiology that were not possible just a few short years ago. Understanding how immune cells interact with their neighbors and with tumor cells in space and time will enable us to bring forward new strategies to improve immunotherapy outcomes,” said Allison. “We are proud to host this annual symposium to advance the field, and we are extremely grateful for the support of the Wintermann Foundation to make new breakthroughs possible.”

Houston Methodist's cardiovascular sciences, orthopedics and RNA therapeutics research programs will be the first to occupy the new space. Photo via houstonmethodist.org

Houston Methodist signs on at new TMC Helix Park building

moving in

Texas medical giant Houston Methodist is the latest to join the Dynamic One building within TMC Helix Park.

The hospital announced that it has signed a 75,800-square-foot lease in the building and will take over two floors of biomedical research laboratories. Houston Methodist's cardiovascular sciences, orthopedics and RNA therapeutics research programs will be the first to occupy the space.

“We are always focused on translating innovative medical discoveries into viable therapies for patients. These highly entrepreneurial programs, which translate these discoveries to the bedside, are a natural fit within the emerging biotechnology ecosystem that the TMC is cultivating,” Edward Jones, president and CEO of Houston Methodist Research Institute, said in the announcement.

Houston Methodist joins anchor tenant Baylor College of Medicine in the state-of-the-art building, which opened in Nov. 2023.

The 12-story Dynamic One building features lab space, offices, restaurants, and stores. It represents the first of four buildings planned for the 37-acre TMC Helix Park and was one of the largest life sciences projects in the U.S. set to come online last year.

Developers are slated to open three more move-in-ready Beacon Ready Labs in the building this summer, ranging from 9,000 to 15,000 square feet.

“We are excited to welcome Houston Methodist to this space; their commitment to bench to bedside innovation and track record of transformative new discoveries aligns with our vision for the campus,” William McKeon, president and CEO of the Texas Medical Center, said in a statement. “Beacon Capital has been an outstanding partner in the development of TMC Helix Park, lending their insights to our efforts to design a campus that would seamlessly blend institutions and industry.”

TMC Helix Park officially opened last October with the launch of the TMC3 Collaborative Building. The 250,000-square-foot building anchors the campus and houses research initiatives from the four founding partners: Texas Medical Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

UTHealth Houston also broke ground on its 350,000-square-foot tower on the campus last summer. It's slated to open in time for the 2026 Fall semester. And TMC unveiled plans for the fourth and final component of Helix Park, the TMC BioPort, in 2022.

Mayor Sylvester Turner, TMC CEO Bill McKeon, Governor Greg Abbott, and others gave their remarks at the TMC3 Collaborative Building opening. Photo by Natalie Harms

Texas Medical Center opens first building in massive Helix Park project

tmc3

For nearly a decade, the Texas Medical Center and its partners have been working on the plans for Helix Park, a 37-acre campus expansion of TMC. As of this week, the first building has opened its doors to the public.

The TMC3 Collaborative Building officially opened today to a crowd of media, public officials, and health care executives. The institutional agnostic, 250,000-square-foot building will anchor Helix Park and house research initiatives from the four founding partners: Texas Medical Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

“Today, we lay the cornerstone of a new campus fully dedicated to streamlining the commercialization of life-changing innovations in medicine and technologies,” William McKeon, president and CEO of TMC, says at the event. “We are incredibly excited to both welcome our founding institutions and industry partners to the Collaborative Building and to invite the community to experience the Helix Park campus and its beautiful parks with a series of special events in the months ahead."

Established to be a place for academic institution collaboration, the building — designed by Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects — will have wet laboratories, office space, and event facilities. Two venture groups — Portal Innovations and the TMC Venture Fund — will also move into the building.

Each institution will bring in select programs and initiatives. MD Anderson will house two institutions within the new building, including the James P. Allison Institute focused on immunotherapy and the Institute for Data Science in Oncology.

"The future of life sciences in Houston is brighter than ever before as we come together to officially open the TMC3 Collaborative Building,” Dr. Peter WT Pisters, president of MD Anderson, says. “Our clinicians and scientists work daily to advance innovations in cancer research and care – all of which will be amplified in this new environment within Helix Park that further cultivates collaboration, connectivity, and creativity.”

UTHealth will move its Texas Therapeutics Institute into the facility.

“With a shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities, we are bringing together academics and industry to accelerate discovery and medical breakthroughs,” Dr. Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair at UTHealth Houston, says. “Through the Texas Therapeutics Institute — already a signature collaborative enterprise at UTHealth Houston — our world-renowned leaders in therapeutic antibody development will have the opportunity to work closely with other leading researchers in the Texas Medical Center, greatly enhancing our collective ability to translate discoveries and ideas into effective treatments.”

Texas A&M, which has worked with Houston Methodist to develop its engineering medical program, will operate its Texas A&M Health’s Institute of Biosciences and Technology in the new space.

“As we open this state-of-the-art facility, we’re opening the door to a new era of collaboration. This building signifies the dismantling of silos to deliver game-changing therapies for the toughest diseases impacting Texans and citizens worldwide,” said John Sharp, Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “Texas A&M Health’s Institute of Biosciences and Technology has long been a trailblazer in drug discovery, and now, in the heart of this resource-rich ecosystem of the Texas Medical Center, we’re taking it up a notch. By positioning our scientists near their peers and esteemed clinicians, we’re igniting a spark that will fuel innovation and forge dynamic research programs.”

The next aspect of Helix Park to deliver will be the Dynamic One, a 700,000-square-foot industry research facility. Several other buildings, including a hotel, residential tower, and mixed-use building, are expected to deliver over the next few years. The "spine" of the project is six linked green spaces, designed by landscape architect Mikyoung Kim, that form an 18.7-acre campus, which is shaped like a DNA helix, hence the project's name.

At the opening event, leaders discussed the annual impact of over $5.4 billion expected after the campus is completed, and the 23,000 permanent new jobs and 19,000 construction jobs anticipated from Helix Park.

"Texas truly is the home of innovation. Our energy innovations are legendary, as are our innovations in space," says Texas Governor Greg Abbott, naming several of the state's innovative accomplishments. "Long before all of this innovation we're seeing now, Texas was the home of the Texas Medical Center."

Mayor Sylvester Turner spoke to the importance of collaboration.

"Individually, you can do things very well. Collectively, you can be transformational," he says. "One thing about this city, collaboration is the key. When we play well together, and when we build an integrated, robust ecosystem, everyone wins. That's Houston, and that's the way we operate."

Texas Children's Hospital has expanded. Photo courtesy of TCH

Houston hospital opens next phase in $245M expansion

now open

Texas Children's Hospital has announced the opening of its newest medical tower in the Texas Medical Center.

Pavilion for Women Tower II is now open to patients, the Texas Children's Hospital revealed this week. It's the second phase of a $245 million expansion within the TMC. The new tower houses women’s services outpatient clinics and connects to the Pavilion for Women via a new sky bridge,

“I’ve always said that outgrowing a space is a good problem to have because it means that we’re doing something right and our patients and their families trust us to provide the safe and high-quality care they deserve,” says Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO of Texas Children’s, in a news release. “I am so proud of everything we’ve done together and I’m beyond grateful and excited for the continuous growth of Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.”

The Pavilion for Women continues to grow its medical services, according to the release, including "pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, menopause treatment, maternal fetal medicine care, the Texas Children’s Fetal Center, reproductive psychiatry, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and minimally invasive gynecology surgery."

“This latest milestone is one more indication of the dedication of Texas Children's Hospital to women's health,” Dr. Michael Belfort, OB/GYN-in-chief at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women and professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine, says in the release. “That's very, very important to me. For the first time in this country, a children's hospital has embraced women throughout the spectrum of their health care from birth to menopause.”

The Baylor Obstetrics and Gynecology will relocate to the new tower by the end of the year. In 2024, TCH will add more adult inpatient and neonatal intensive care beds.

“This investment in our Pavilion for Women will allow us to increase delivery volumes significantly, but additionally the added space will also allow us to continue to grow those specialized clinics that cater to women at every stage of their life,” says Michele Birsinger, assistant vice president of Women's Services at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.

The Texas Medical Center is also undergoing a major renovation to create Helix Park, a complex with a few new multidisciplinary buildings for research, innovation, and health care. The first of the buildings, the TMC3 Collaborative Building, is expected to deliver this year.

The UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, which operates out of three buildings currently, will consolidate all of its operations in the new building. Rendering courtesy of UTHealth

UTHealth Houston latest to break ground in Helix Park

under construction

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health broke ground Tuesday on a new tower in the Texas Medical Center's Helix Park.

The $229 million facility is slated to be open in time for the fall semester in 2026. It will be home to research laboratories, distance-learning technology, an auditorium, teaching kitchen, collaborative spaces, and classrooms and adds 350,000 square feet to TMC’s Helix Park, which has several projects underway.

The UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, which operates out of three buildings currently, will consolidate all of its operations in the new building at 1930 Old Spanish Trail. Disciplines taught in the new tower will include epidemiology, genetics, nutrition, health policy, data science, and health promotion.

According to a statement from UTHealth, the facility will allow the school to continue to grow as enrollment has increased 27 percent over the last five years.

“The new building reflects our bold thinking as we pioneer radical solutions for imminent and future public health challenges while giving our students the tools and resources to improve the health of Texas,” Eric Boerwinkle, dean of UTHealth School of Public Health, said in a statement.

Houston-based Kirksey Architecture and Detroit-based Smith Group designed the new 10-story building which incorporates sustainable design. The tower is slated to feature rainwater harvesting for irrigation, an upper-level terrace, holistic teaching garden and a building automation programming. A skybride over Old Spanish Trail will also connect the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health with a plaza that is shared with MD Anderson.

The new tower joins the 12-story Dynamic One project at TMC Helix Park, which is slated to open this year. It will be anchored by Baylor College of Medicine and is the first of the four buildings planned for the 37-acre, five-million-square-foot development, named for the shape of the park and walkway design at the center of the campus.

The TMC3 Collaborative Building will also be located within Helix Park, also slated to open this year. The 250,000-square-foot space will house research facilities for MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Texas A&M University Health Science Center, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and TMC, as well as VC firms and hedge funds. UTHealth is also slated to move into a portion of that building in September or October.

Helix Park will be one of four districts within the TMC, including the already operating TMC Medical Campus and the TMC Innovation Factory.

The TMC BioPort completes the list. The biomanufacturing and medical supplies distribution site is intended to create over 100,000 new job opportunities once completed.
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3 Houston innovators who made headlines in May 2025

Innovators to Know

Editor's note: Houston innovators are making waves this month with revolutionary VC funding, big steps towards humanoid robotics, and software that is impacting the agriculture sector. Here are three Houston innovators to know right now.

Zach Ellis, founder and partner of South Loop Ventures

Zach Ellis. Photo via LinkedIn

Zach Ellis Jr., founder and general partner of South Loop Ventures, says the firm wants to address the "billion-dollar blind spot" of inequitable distribution of venture capital to underrepresented founders of color. The Houston-based firm recently closed its debut fund for more than $21 million. Learn more.

Ty Audronis, CEO and founder of Tempest Droneworx

Ty Audronis, CEO and founder of Tempest Droneworx

Ty Audronis, center. Photo via LinkedIn.

Ty Audronis and his company, Tempest Droneworx, made a splash at SXSW Interactive 2025, winning the Best Speed Pitch award at the annual festival. The company is known for it flagship product, Harbinger, a software solution that agnostically gathers data at virtually any scale and presents that data in easy-to-understand visualizations using a video game engine. Audronis says his company won based on its merits and the impact it’s making and will make on the world, beginning with agriculture. Learn more.

Nicolaus Radford, CEO of Persona AI

Nicolaus Radford, founder and CEO of Nauticus RoboticsNicolaus Radford. Image via LinkedIn

Houston-based Persona AI and CEO Nicolaus Radford continue to make steps toward deploying a rugged humanoid robot, and with that comes the expansion of its operations at Houston's Ion. Radford and company will establish a state-of-the-art development center in the prominent corner suite on the first floor of the building, with the expansion slated to begin in June. “We chose the Ion because it’s more than just a building — it’s a thriving innovation ecosystem,” Radford says. Learn more.

Pharmaceutical giant plans $5.9B Houston facility and more news to know

Trending News

Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston innovation news from the second half of May 2025. From exciting VC raises to major manufacturing facilities in the works, here are the most-read InnovationMap stories from May 16-30.

1. Pharmaceutical giant looks to bring $5.9 billion facility to Houston

Eli Lilly is looking to build an active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing facility at Generation Park. Rendering courtesy of McCord

Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company is looking to build a $5.9 billion active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility in Houston, according to a recent filing with the state of Texas.

The proposal states that the project plans to employ 604 full-time direct employees at the site upon ramp-up completion. Construction is projected to begin in 2026, with a completion target of 2030 and commercial operations beginning in 2031. Continue reading.

2. Houston VC firm closes $21M fund for underrepresented founders

Zach Ellis, founder and general partner of South Loop Ventures, which recently closed its debut fund. Photo via LinkedIn

Houston-based South Loop Ventures recently closed its debut fund for more than $21 million, led by investments from Rice Management Company and Chevron Technology Ventures.

The funds will go toward teams with at least one underrepresented founder of color working in the energy, health, space, sports and fintech sectors. Additional investments came from The Great Commission Foundation of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, Texas CapitalBank and others organizations. Continue reading.

3. Houston-founded startup raises $1.2M and moves headquarters to Detroit

ChurchSpace, founded in Houston by Day Edwards and Emmanuel Brown, is moving to Detroit. Photo courtesy ChurchSpace.

Houston-founded ChurchSpace, known as the Airbnb for churches, has formed an official partnership with the City of Detroit and will relocate its headquarters.

The announcements come as the company successfully closed a $1.2 million oversubscribed funding round. The round was led by California-based Black Ops Ventures, with participation from Michigan Rise and Dug Song of Minor Capital, who is also the founder of the Song Foundation, another Michigan-based organization. Continue reading.

4. Houston aerospace co. soars with first U.S. test flight of hypersonic engine

Venus Aerospace successfully completed the flight test of its hypersonic engine, the first of an American-developed engine of its kind. Photo courtesy Venus Aerospace

Houston-based Venus Aerospace successfully completed the first U.S. flight test of its proprietary engine at a demonstration at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Venus’ next-generation rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) is supported by a $155,908 federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from NASA and aims to enable vehicles to travel four to six times the speed of sound from a conventional runway. The recent flight test was the first of an American-developed engine of its kind. Continue reading.

5. Houston regenerative medicine company expands lab for future trials

FibroBiologics has opened a new 10,000-square-foot Houston lab to scale up research efforts and pave the way for in-house manufacturing. Photo via Fibrobiologics.com

A Houston regenerative medicine company has unveiled new laboratory space with the goal of expanding its pioneering science.

FibroBiologics uses fibroblasts, the body’s most common type of cell, rather than stem cells, to help grow new cells. With its new space, the publicly traded company, which has more than 240 patents issued or pending, will be even better equipped to power forward with its research. Continue reading.

Houston university to launch artificial intelligence major, one of first in nation

BS in AI

Rice University announced this month that it plans to introduce a Bachelor of Science in AI in the fall 2025 semester.

The new degree program will be part of the university's department of computer science in the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing and is one of only a few like it in the country. It aims to focus on "responsible and interdisciplinary approaches to AI," according to a news release from the university.

“We are in a moment of rapid transformation driven by AI, and Rice is committed to preparing students not just to participate in that future but to shape it responsibly,” Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said in the release. “This new major builds on our strengths in computing and education and is a vital part of our broader vision to lead in ethical AI and deliver real-world solutions across health, sustainability and resilient communities.”

John Greiner, an assistant teaching professor of computer science in Rice's online Master of Computer Science program, will serve as the new program's director. Vicente Ordóñez-Román, an associate professor of computer science, was also instrumental in developing and approving the new major.

Until now, Rice students could study AI through elective courses and an advanced degree. The new bachelor's degree program opens up deeper learning opportunities to undergrads by blending traditional engineering and math requirements with other courses on ethics and philosophy as they relate to AI.

“With the major, we’re really setting out a curriculum that makes sense as a whole,” Greiner said in the release. “We are not simply taking a collection of courses that have been created already and putting a new wrapper around them. We’re actually creating a brand new curriculum. Most of the required courses are brand new courses designed for this major.”

Students in the program will also benefit from resources through Rice’s growing AI ecosystem, like the Ken Kennedy Institute, which focuses on AI solutions and ethical AI. The university also opened its new AI-focused "innovation factory," Rice Nexus, earlier this year.

“We have been building expertise in artificial intelligence,” Ordóñez-Román added in the release. “There are people working here on natural language processing, information retrieval systems for machine learning, more theoretical machine learning, quantum machine learning. We have a lot of expertise in these areas, and I think we’re trying to leverage that strength we’re building.”

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